Automobile cooler



March s, 193s. J. E. HAMME'RS er L I2,110,222y

AUTOMOBILE COOLER' Filed June 4," 1954 INVENTORS,

. v/Myer;

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vPatented- Mer. s, 193s PATENT vori-lois AUTOMOBHE COOLER James E. Hammers, Burt F. Hammers, and Ezra C. Buehler, Lawrence, Kans., assignors of oneio'urth to Ellen S. Bates and Frank E. Bates.

Topeka, Kans.

Application June 4, i934, serial No. 'zzassz 6 Claims.

and has for its primary object, the provision of 'a novel burner-'for cooling apparatus used for conditioning the normally closed-compartment of anautomotlve vehicle, whether it be for the purpose of refrigerating said compartment or for conditioning the air therein so that the same Will I the supply of which is both manually and automatically controlled by means within the com- 4 partment of the automobile.

A further object of this invention is to provide cooling apparatus for automobiles which has as .20 a part thereof, a unique generator comprising parts which employ both electrical energy and a part of the fuel supply for the automobile motor,

such employment being through the medium oi specially formed and novel valve and switch elements, to the end that operation of the entire cooling apparatus is rendered easy to start and stop and ismade automatic between these times and during. the continued operation of the apparatus.

' With the foregoing general objects in view and with minor objects in mind that will be made clear during the course of the following specication, one form of the invention will be described L by reference to the accompanying. drawing,

' wherein: A

Fig. 1 is a partially diagrammatical, fragmentary view through the lower portion of the' generator of an automobile cooling apparatus and showing itsconnection with a manual control lo- 40 cated on the instrument board.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, diagrammatical, sectional view through thethermostatically controlled valve which is actuated by compartment tem- "o trical connections and system employed in this refrigerating apparatus. l A

- The lower part of a cooling apparatus generator 46 is shown in -detail in Fig. 1 and has a heating lmeans that utilizes gasoline or the same fuel that is used by the motor which drives the-automobile.

` (C1. 158-53) This invention relates to automobile coolers The upper part of generator lbf has a chamber formed therein, within which is disposed a series of downwardly inclined baille plates to direct the condensate back to the lower part of generator' 40. wherein is disposed the novel heating means. 5 This heating means 46 is used to heat coils 48 which are in connection with thelower part'of an evaporator through the medium of a conduit EIL The open end of coiled conduit 60 is directed against the underside and spaced from the 10 cap 62 which is normally submerged in the water or other absorbing agent within generator 40.

Burner I6 comprises a coil 64 which terminates in an upwardly d irectednozzle 56, from which the gasinea fuel is projected after passing' 16- through-said coils 54. A portion of coils 6I is surrounded by heating coils 58 which are` removed from the end of pipe 50 forming'nozzle 56 a suilicient distance so that generating a gas will be insuredV Prior to the liquid fuel reaching. 20 nozzle |56. This coil 54 receives its fuel from a4 source of fuel supply for nozzle 56 through a conduit 62, withinwhich is interposed a thermostatically controlled valve 64. This valve 64 is always partially open and when a change of tem- 25 perature takes place within the compartment being conditioned, valve 64 is further opened or partially closed, as the case might be. The valve stem of valve 64 is reciprocated 'as the temperature within said compartment is changed. 'This 30 -`action takes place because ofthe increase or decrease in volume of the gas within thermostat 66 which acts upon the diaphragm in connection with the valve stem as shown in Fig. 2. Such thermostats are of the commercial type and well known in the art.

It is notable that this thermostat 66 should bel positioned within the compartment being conditioned by the cooling apparatus of which the burner, shown in Fig. 1, is a part. If the temperature in the compartment increases, thermostat 66 will act to open valve 64 to cause a greater amount of fuel to reach burner 66 thereby to speed up the flow of refrigerant'through the cooling apparatus for the purpose of lowering the temperature in the compartment to the desired degree. When the temperature is lowered ther-l mostat 66 will serve to close valve64. Thus valve 6l will be opened and closed to speed or retard the action of the cooling system as the temperature in `thecompartment uctuates toward and from a predetermined set level.

4A manually controlled valve 68 is likewise interposed in conduit 62 and its rotatable piston 10, having a longitudinal notch 12 formed in thel 55 board 80 ofthe automobile.

wall thereof, either entirely opens or entirely closes valve 68. When the piston 10 is in the pov sition shown in Fig. 3, notch 12 communicates with'groove 14 formed along the inner face of the'housing of valve 68. When this last mentioned .valve 68 isi opened, there should be electrical energy supplied to both coils 58 and ignition coils 16, which are above and in alignment with v Ynozzle 56 so that when the same is heated to incandescence the gas will be ignited. When the gas generated by heat from coils 58, is ignited by coils 16 and the flame heats by-metallic strip 88 to a certain degree, the circuit is broken and the heat of coil 48 is derived entirely from the gas f flame.

The means for operating valve 681s a manually controlled handle 18 disposed on the instrument A flexible shaft 82 joins handle 18 rand valve 68 and when handle "i8 is moved to open valve 68, it will close contact points 84 and 86 so as to-complete the circuit .which heats coils 58 and 16.v A thermostatic switch comprising the bi-metallic'point 88 and stationary point 90 is disposed within burner 45 so that heat therein will move this bi-metallic point 88 to and from the switch closing position.

As 'illustrated in Fig. 5, this switch comprising points 88 vand 90 is in the circuit with points 84 and 86 and even when handle 18 has moved to close these last two points, the circuit is opened when a certain amount-cf heat is generated in burner 46. Thus the burne'risv automatic with respect to self-'generationand valve 64 automati-y cally supplies more or less 'fuel as needed to speed or retard refrigerating action.

'I'he 'diagrammatical showing of the electricalv system employed is shown in Fig. 5. 'This d ia,v

gram indicates the manner in which battery 82 of the automobile supplies electrical 'energy to coils. Thecircuit may be .traced as follows: B at. tery 82, through wire `84 to coil 58, wire-96 topoint 88,. point 80,.'wire 88, ignition coil 16, wire |00, and thence through closed contact points 8 6 and 84 to wire |02 to the point of beginning or the other side of ybattery 82.

\ Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Let-v V ters Patent is:

' 1. In an automobile cooling apparatus, a burner comprisinga coiled` conduit having an outlet nozzle; an electrical ignition coil adjacent to the said outlet nozzle', athermostatic switchin circuit with the said coil and operable Vto the openposition by heat of a flameV 'at the outlet nozzle; a manually controlled switch in the circuit;` a pipe in connection with the coiled conduit tosupply fuel thereto; a valve in the pipe; a source of electricalenergy in y'connection with theI circuit for .heating the saidcoil; and a manually operable lever movable tc simultaneously control the opening and closing of both the last mentioned switch and manually operable' valve, -said coiled pipehaving an electric heating element wound around -a portion thereof in circuitwith the heating coil and ,thermostatic switch whereby-'to heat the fuel .passing through said coiled pipe wheny the circuit is closed by both the lthermostatic and manually y controlled switches to heat the ignition coil,

2. In an automobile cooling apparatus, a burn' er comprising a coiled conduit having an o utlet *,no'zzle; an electrical ignition coil adjacentto the said v outlet nozzle: a thermostatic switch in circuit withthe lsaid 'coil and operable to the'openposition byheat of a flame at the outlet' nozzle; j

a manually controlled switch in the circuit; a'. pipe path of travel of .the ame in connection with the coiled conduit to supply fuel thereto a valve in the pipe; a source of electrical energy in connection with the circuit for heating the said coll; and a manually operable .and disposed to direct fuel toward said ignitionA coil.

3. In an automobilev cooling apparatus, a burner comprising a coiled conduit having an outlet nozzle; an electrical ignition coil adjacent to the said outlet nozzle; a thermostatic switch in circuit with the said coil and operable to the open position by heat of a flame at the outlet nozzle; a

manually controlled switch in the circuit; a Ipipe in connection with the coiled conduit to supply fuel thereto; a valve inthe pipe; a source of electrical energy in connection withl the circuit for heating the said coil; and a manually operable lever movable to simultaneously control the opening and closing of both the last mentioned switch and manually operable valve, said coiled pipe having an electric heating element in circuit with the heating coil and thermostatic switch. whereby to heatthe fuel passing through said coiled pipe when thel circuit is closed by both the thermostatic and manually controlled switches to heat the ignition coil, said nozzle beingl circumscribed by the coiled conduit'- and disposed to direct fuel towardsaid ignition coil, saidthermostatic switch l being between said nozzle and ignition coil in the extending from the said nozzle.

'4. In an automobile cooling apparatus, a burner provided with a combustion chamber; anozzle in the chamber; aheating element in the cham-- ber disposed in the path of travel of fluid passing from the nozzle a source of fuel' supply. for the nozzle; a source of electrical current for .the element; common means for simultaneously inter-'- connecting the nozzle and said heating element with the source of fuel supply and source of electrical current respectively; and a valve for increasing and decreasing the ow of fuel to the nozzle independently of and after the said com' mon means is `in operative position, said valve having a controlling thermostat operable by the change in temperature within the automobile.

5. In an automobile cooling apparatus, a burner comprising a spirally coiled conduit having an f outlet nozzle at one end of the conduit disposed within the coil intermediate the ends thereof;

anelectrical ignition coil adjacent to the said outlet nozzle and in the path of travel of fluid issuing therefrom; a 'thermostatic switch between the said nozzle andthe ignition coil; a manually controlled switch; a circuit connecting the ignition coil, thermostatic switch and manually controlled switch with a source of current; a pipe connecting the spirally coiled conduit -with a source o'f fuel supply; a valve in the pipe to open and close the same; and a control lever operably switch and said valve to simultaneously close the switch as the-valve is opened end ,to 'simultane-A ously open the switch when-the'vaive is closed,

said thermostatic switch being mov ble to. the

connected with the said manually controlledn generated by the burner has acted upon the thermostat of said switch.

6. In an automobile cooling apparatus, a burner comprising a spirally coiled conduit having an' Y Ioutlet nozzle at one end'of the conduit disposed within the coll intermediate the ends thereof; an

, electrical ignitioncoil adjacent to the said outlet nozzle and in the path of travel of fluid issuing therefrom; a thermostatic switch between the said nozzleand the ignition coil; a manually controlled switch; a circuit connecting theignition coil, thermostatic switch and manually controlled switch with a source of current; a pipe connecting the spirally coiled conduit with a source of fuel supply; a valve in the pipe to open and close the same; a heating element wound around the said'spirally coiled lconduit along a short length thereof adjacent tc the point cf connection between the said pipe and the conduit; and a control lever operably connected'with the said manually controlled switch and said valve to simultaneously close the switch as the valve is opened and to simultaneously open the switch when the valve is closed, said thermostatic switch 4being movable to the open position to break the circuit and after the heat generated by the burner has acted upon the thermostat oi' said switch, the said heating element being -in a closed circuit to generate heat from the time said manually controlled switch is c losed until the thermostatic switch is opened.

j JAMES lE. HAMMERS.

BURT F. HAMMERS. EZRA C. BUEHLER.

after the manually'controlled s witch is closed y 

